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Businessman turning former studios into a trampoline palace

Sarasota entrepreneur Brett Morrow will open Jumpin' Fun Sports, an indoor trampoline park, within the former Sanborn Studios building in Lakewood Ranch this summer. Morrow is getting ready to fill the 27,000-square-foot interior with wall-to-wall trampolines, including a 2,700-square-foot dodgeball court, a 7,500-square-foot main court, an interior play court, a 1,000-square-foot foam pit and a separate kid court for little jumpers. There will also be a lounge area for parents.

Published: Wednesday, March 20, 2013 at 1:00 a.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, March 19, 2013 at 9:14 p.m.

LAKEWOOD RANCH - The large, empty warehouse space formerly occupied by Sanborn Studios could soon have people bouncing off the walls -- literally.

In June, Sarasota entrepreneur Brett Morrow will reopen Sanborn's former 27,000-square-foot building in Lakewood Ranch as Jumpin' Fun Sports, with wall-to-wall trampolines, fast food and a comfy couch area for parents to play with their iPads while their kids get their ya-yas out.

Morrow's permit allows up to 140 jumpers at a time. He has not set prices yet, but similar trampoline parks, as they are known, charge $12 an hour. Birthday packages, complete with pizza, drinks and cupcakes might run $200 to $400.

For Morrow, it's a $750,000 bet that Jumpin' Fun's uniqueness trumps the possibility that the Sarasota-Bradenton area -- with its older demographic and tropically sunny weather -- cannot support a venue that depends heavily on youngsters to survive.

Morrow says he is spending roughly $100,000 on sound and lighting equipment, along with a projector that will broadcast live videos of jumpers in action onto a 20-by-16-foot screen.

"I am looking for the total experience, not just trampolines and a cash register," said Morrow, who previously co-owned a Venice window- and-door distributor.

Nationwide trend

Morrow's planned trampoline park will join a growing segment of similar centers springing up nationwide.

"There are about 140 parks in the U.S. today," says Arch Adams, whose Georgia-based Funspot makes trampolines. "I think another 40 will open this year."

But while Jumpin' Fun joins a growing crowd, and it has an enviable site in Lakewood Ranch near loads of young families, it will not have highway visibility.

No problem, Adams says.

"This is a destination business. You need to be in a good location geographically, but you don't need to be on a main thoroughfare."

Youngsters needed

Like BounceU, whose franchised Sarasota store closed in February after five years of operation, Jumpin' Fun will need lots of young traffic to survive.

"You need a lot of people and a lot of kids," said Eric Beck, who owns two trampoline parks in the Chicago area and who is a consultant to others. "It is all kids. A lot of birthday parties."

Even so, BounceU's former co-owner believes Jumpin' Fun has a decent shot at enduring success.

Meredith Armstrong notes that trampolines "are a lot different from inflatables" used at her former business.

"He can appeal to the younger kids and the teenagers, so he is going to be able to get a bigger market in there," says Armstrong, who co-owned BounceU with her husband.

Morrow's timing is better, too, she adds. BounceU debuted in June 2008 -- just as the Great Recession hit Southwest Florida.

"We were contending with a really bad economy," Armstrong said.

Morrow agrees that birthday parties will comprise 50 percent of his business, with fitness classes, camps, corporate team building, and home-school physical education making up the balance of revenue.

He also sees room for teen nights and organized sports and plans to offer dodge ball, basketball and acrobatics.

Wall-to-wall bouncing

Trampolines will abut each other, with edges covered by padding. They also will be set on 45 degree angles from walls.

One area will be set apart for smaller children, to avoid collisions with bigger kids.

Morrow can thank Sanborn Studios founder Ken Sanborn for at least some of his infrastructure, including the amped-up, 80-ton air conditioning system that Sanborn had installed to accommodate his film studio.

Sanborn and the studio bounced on a lease in December 2011 after a series of film and television projects failed to gain traction.

Morrow also will benefit from the dimensions of the building, at 7321 Trade Court. It has 30-foot ceilings, walls and ceilings painted black, and ample parking.

For his part, Adams believes Morrow already has cleared one of his biggest hurdles with his location.

"Every market of any size is being crawled over for buildings," Adams said.

<p><em>LAKEWOOD RANCH</em> - The large, empty warehouse space formerly occupied by Sanborn Studios could soon have people bouncing off the walls -- literally.</p><p>In June, Sarasota entrepreneur Brett Morrow will reopen Sanborn's former 27,000-square-foot building in Lakewood Ranch as Jumpin' Fun Sports, with wall-to-wall trampolines, fast food and a comfy couch area for parents to play with their iPads while their kids get their ya-yas out.</p><p>Morrow's permit allows up to 140 jumpers at a time. He has not set prices yet, but similar trampoline parks, as they are known, charge $12 an hour. Birthday packages, complete with pizza, drinks and cupcakes might run $200 to $400.</p><p>For Morrow, it's a $750,000 bet that Jumpin' Fun's uniqueness trumps the possibility that the Sarasota-Bradenton area -- with its older demographic and tropically sunny weather -- cannot support a venue that depends heavily on youngsters to survive.</p><p>Morrow says he is spending roughly $100,000 on sound and lighting equipment, along with a projector that will broadcast live videos of jumpers in action onto a 20-by-16-foot screen.</p><p>"I am looking for the total experience, not just trampolines and a cash register," said Morrow, who previously co-owned a Venice window- and-door distributor.</p><p><b>Nationwide trend</p><p></b></p><p>Morrow's planned trampoline park will join a growing segment of similar centers springing up nationwide.</p><p>"There are about 140 parks in the U.S. today," says Arch Adams, whose Georgia-based Funspot makes trampolines. "I think another 40 will open this year."</p><p>But while Jumpin' Fun joins a growing crowd, and it has an enviable site in Lakewood Ranch near loads of young families, it will not have highway visibility.</p><p>No problem, Adams says.</p><p>"This is a destination business. You need to be in a good location geographically, but you don't need to be on a main thoroughfare."</p><p><b>Youngsters needed</p><p></b></p><p>Like BounceU, whose franchised Sarasota store closed in February after five years of operation, Jumpin' Fun will need lots of young traffic to survive.</p><p>"You need a lot of people and a lot of kids," said Eric Beck, who owns two trampoline parks in the Chicago area and who is a consultant to others. "It is all kids. A lot of birthday parties."</p><p>Even so, BounceU's former co-owner believes Jumpin' Fun has a decent shot at enduring success.</p><p>Meredith Armstrong notes that trampolines "are a lot different from inflatables" used at her former business.</p><p>"He can appeal to the younger kids and the teenagers, so he is going to be able to get a bigger market in there," says Armstrong, who co-owned BounceU with her husband.</p><p>Morrow's timing is better, too, she adds. BounceU debuted in June 2008 -- just as the Great Recession hit Southwest Florida.</p><p>"We were contending with a really bad economy," Armstrong said.</p><p>Morrow agrees that birthday parties will comprise 50 percent of his business, with fitness classes, camps, corporate team building, and home-school physical education making up the balance of revenue.</p><p>He also sees room for teen nights and organized sports and plans to offer dodge ball, basketball and acrobatics.</p><p><b>Wall-to-wall bouncing</p><p></b></p><p>Trampolines will abut each other, with edges covered by padding. They also will be set on 45 degree angles from walls.</p><p>One area will be set apart for smaller children, to avoid collisions with bigger kids.</p><p>Morrow can thank Sanborn Studios founder Ken Sanborn for at least some of his infrastructure, including the amped-up, 80-ton air conditioning system that Sanborn had installed to accommodate his film studio.</p><p>Sanborn and the studio bounced on a lease in December 2011 after a series of film and television projects failed to gain traction.</p><p>Morrow also will benefit from the dimensions of the building, at 7321 Trade Court. It has 30-foot ceilings, walls and ceilings painted black, and ample parking.</p><p>For his part, Adams believes Morrow already has cleared one of his biggest hurdles with his location.</p><p>"Every market of any size is being crawled over for buildings," Adams said.</p>